Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The Enugu State Government is set to begin another round of demolition at Agu-Owa Community in Trans Ekulu area, a suburb of the Enugu metropolis.
This is sequel to an evacuation letter written to the residents of the community and dated July 5th, 2024.
The letter emanated from the office of the Commissioner for Housing, entitled “Notification for Housing Upgrade and the Urgent Need for Relocation of Residents at Agu-Owa Community in Trans Ekulu Enugu.”
The letter directed residents of the area to submit all authentic papers relating to their ownership of the properties therein to the office of the commissioner within four weeks for verification.
“The relocation will take effect by the end of September 2024, when it will be hopeful that the new housing scheme would be ready.
“Machineries have been put in motion to ensure timely actualisation of the project.
“Please also be informed that the state government would not hesitate to deal otherwise with any form of unnecessary clumsiness and delays to frustrate this laudable policy objectives,” the notice read.
Ikengaonline investigations revealed that the said area was cut out for original inhabitants from the remnants of the land acquired by Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), for building of staff quarters in the 1980s.
However, the aborigines of Agu Owa community started selling the lands to individuals and organizations, who built houses and businesses in the area.
Mbah said the evacuation had become imperative to pave the way for a new housing estate in the area for the resettlement of the residents in line with his administration’s commitment to give Enugu a facelift.
It would be recalled that Governor Mbah had in recent months begun demolition of structures across the state including Holy Ghost, Gariki market, Abakpa, all in Enugu; and Ogige market, in Nsukka Local Government Area.
